Frequency-stabilized seed laser system for dial applications around 0.94 μm

Absolute frequency stabilization of an extended-cavity diode laser at 0.94 μm is reported. The diode laser was frequency locked against rovibrational absorption lines of water vapour by using the frequency modulation spectroscopy technique. The stabilized oscillator shows a short-term frequency stability level of 40 kHz for integration times of 1 s and a long-term frequency drift lower than 10 MHz for observation times longer than 10³ s. The frequency-stabilized oscillator system is mounted on a compact breadboard (75 cm×50 cm) and constitutes the seed laser system for the injection of a high-energy DIAL laser transmitter operating in the 0.94-μm spectral region.     

基于飞秒光频梳的压电陶瓷闭环位移控制系统

利用飞秒光频梳、外腔可调谐半导体激光器和法布里-珀罗干涉仪建立了一套压电陶瓷亚纳米级闭环位移控制系统. 将可调谐半导体激光器锁定至光频梳, 通过精确调谐光频梳的重复频率, 实现了半导体激光器在其工作频率范围内的精密调谐. 利用Pound-Drever-Hall锁定技术将带有压电陶瓷的法布里-珀罗腔锁定至半导体激光器, 进而通过频率发生系统控制压电陶瓷产生亚纳米级分辨率的位移. 实验研究发现锁定至光频梳后可调谐半导体激光器1 s的Allan标准偏差为1.68×10^-12, 将其在30.9496 GHz范围内进行连续闭环调谐, 可获得压电陶瓷的位移行程约为4.8 μm; 以3.75 Hz的步长扫描光频梳的重复频率, 实现了压电陶瓷的450 pm闭环位移分辨率并测定了压电陶瓷的磁滞特性曲线. 该系统不存在非线性测量误差, 且激光频率及压电陶瓷位移均溯源至铷钟频率源. 关键词： 光频梳 压电陶瓷 法布里-珀罗腔 可调谐半导体激光器     

基于飞秒光频梳的双频He-Ne激光器频率测量

利用光纤飞秒光频梳和外腔可调谐半导体激光器, 建立了一套双频He-Ne激光器频率测量系统. 选用铷钟作为系统的频率基准, 通过将外腔半导体激光锁定至光频梳使得其频率溯源至铷钟, 再利用外腔可调谐半导体激光与双频He-Ne激光器输出的正交偏振激光拍频, 同时测量两路正交偏振激光频率. 将可调谐半导体激光器锁定至光频梳第1894449个梳齿, 其绝对频率为473612190000.0±2.7 kHz, 相对不确定度为5.7×10^-12. 对商品双频He-Ne激光器进行频率测量实验, 双频He-Ne激光器水平方向偏振激光频率均值为473612229934 kHz, 竖直方向偏振激光频率均值为473612232111 kHz, 平均时间为1024 s的相对Allan标准差为5.2×10^-11, 频差均值为2.177 MHz, 标准偏差为2 kHz.     

Two Step Deceleration of Cesium Atomic Beam by Frequency Modulated Diode Lasers

Two step white light slowing of a cesium atomic beam was demonstrated by using two kinds of frequency modulated diode lasers. In addition to a frequency modulated free-running diode laser used for the first step of wide range deceleration, a frequency modulated external cavity diode laser (ECDL) with narrower and sharper spectrum was used for the second step deceleration. It was shown that the number of slowed atoms was increased more than twofold by the two step deceleration which kept narrow velocity width of 27 m/s, which is smaller than that by only the single step deceleration.     

Scattering-parameter measurements of laser diodes

An accurate and simple technique for measuring the input reflection coefficient and the frequency response of semiconductor laser diode chips is proposed and demonstrated. All the packaging parasitics could be obtained accurately using a calibrated probe, and the impedance of the intrinsic diode chip is deduced from the directly measured reflection coefficient. The directly measured impedance of a laser diode is affected strongly by the short bond wire. In the frequency response (S ₂₁) measurements of semiconductor laser diode chips, the test fixture consists of a microwave probe, a submount, and a bond wire. The S-parameters of the probe could be determined using the short-open-match (SOM) method. Both the attenuation and the reflection of the test fixture have a strong influence on the directly measured frequency response, and in our proposed technique, the effect of test fixture is completely removed.     

Rb原子的激光囚禁

用饱和吸收光谱法对二极管激光器进行稳频,使激光器的有效线宽小于１ＭＨｚ,并利用声光调制器使激光的频移量得到控制,满足了激光冷却与因禁原子对激光频率生和频 量的 Ｒｂ原子的激光囚禁。     

Space resolved density measurements of argon and helium metastable atoms in radio-frequency generated He-Ar micro-plasmas

Space resolved concentrations of helium He* (³S₁) and argon Ar* (³P₂) metastable atoms in an atmospheric pressure radio frequency micro-plasma jet were measured using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. Even small absorptions down to 10^-4 could be measured using lock-in technique. The absolute density of metastable atoms densities at different rf-power, flow rate and gas mixture was deduced from measured absorption rates. Metastable concentrations range from 10⁹ to 10¹¹ cm^-3. Analysis of spectral profiles provided the pressure broadening coefficients of both metastable atoms by helium. The spatial distribution of metastable atoms in the plasma volume was obtained for various discharge conditions. Density profiles between the electrodes reveal the sheath structure and reflect the plasma excitation distributions in the discharge volume. It reveals the dominance of the α-mode discharge.     

利用光频梳提高台阶高度测量准确度的方法

提出一种利用光频梳和可调谐半导体激光器提高台阶高度测量准确度的方法. 通过将可调谐激光器锁定至光频梳,可对激光器的输出波长进行精确锁定与测量.基于可调合成波长链原理,利用锁定后的半导体激光器构建了一套台阶高度测量方案,该方案可消除合成波长误差对台阶高度测量不确定度的影响. 采用一台可调谐半导体激光器和光频梳进行了5000 s的连续锁定实验, 结果表明,锁定后的可调谐半导体激光器的频率稳定度达 1.8×10^-12.该方法的理论测量不确定度约为7.9 nm, 且测量结果可溯源至时间频率基准.     

Recent Developments in Modulation Spectroscopy for Trace Gas Detection Using Tunable Diode Lasers

Abstract

The need for higher sensitive detection technology for trace gas samples, either in the laboratory setup or in the atmospheric remote sensing has been a goal for several decades. The development of the tunable diode laser has propelled the progress of trace detection technology, and modulation technology enables the improvement of the detection sensitivity. As a result, the detection of 10^?7 or 10^?8 absorbance is possible for some applications, and modulation technology has been applied to the ultraviolet as well as mid-infra red wavelength range. In this review, recent progress of tunable diode lasers and diode laser-based modulation technologies are presented. Wavelength modulation, frequency modulation, and two-tone frequency modulation techniques are mainly described along with the actual application of the techniques. In addition, the state-of-the-art of diode laser development which can be adopted for the trace detection is presented.     

Frequency tunability and temporal characteristics of a DAMC distributed feedback dye laser

The frequency tunablity characteristics of a simple prism configuration distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) pumped by a low pressure nitrogen gas laser are described. Tunability is studied as a function of the refractive index of the dye solution and also as a function of the angle of the interfering beams of the pump laser. The tunability range for the dye studied is from 440 to 480 nm with a spectral width of 0·1 Å and the time duration of the DFDL pulses was 50 ps.     

Thermal- and Spectral-Characteristics of High-Power Quasi-Continuous Wave 940-nm InGaAs Diode Laser Arrays

Experimental results of the thermal and spectral characteristics of a monolithic stack of high power quasicontinuous wave 940-nm InGaAs linear laser diode arrays have been evaluated. Thermal resistance as the most important thermal parameter characterizing a high-power laser diode package was obtained using the temperature rise measured directly by a thermo-camera. A new simple and convenient technique to measure a spectral transition of the emission from laser diode arrays is proposed. Spectral chirping due to the transient thermal power dissipated during the laser pulse was observed as a time-evolution of the spectral profile; it gave a comprehensible image of the chirping behavior. Comparing the temperature rise in the diode junction with the thermal simulation, it was determined that the thermal shift of central wavelength dλ/dT was 0.21 nm/°C. Detailed performances were identified for pumping a Yb³⁺ doped crystalline laser, and it was verified that the laser diode arrays were satisfactory to meet pumping source requirements for coupling to Yb³⁺ absorption linewidth.     

A diode-laser optical frequency standard based on laser-cooled Ca atoms: Sub-kilohertz spectroscopy by optical shelving detection

We report an optical frequency standard at 657 nm based on laser-cooled/trapped Ca atoms. The system consists of a novel, compact magneto-optic trap which uses 50 mW of frequency-doubled diode laser light at 423 nm and can trap >10⁷ Ca atoms in 20 ms. High resolution spectroscopy on this atomic sample using the narrow 657 nm intercombination line resolves linewidths (FWHM) as narrow as 400 Hz, the natural linewidth of the transition. The spectroscopic signal-to-noise ratio is enhanced by an order of magnitude with the implementation of a “shelving" detection scheme on the 423 nm transition. Our present apparatus achieves a fractional frequency instability of in 1 s with a potential atom shot-noise-limited performance of and excellent prospects for high accuracy. Received 2 November 1998     

High-resolution spectroscopy with and frequency stabilization of a cw dye laser

The hyperfine splittings of the Na D₁ and D₂ lines were investigated using a single mode cw dye laser. The light of the laser was scattered by the atoms of an atomic beam and the fluorescent light was observed as the frequency of the laser was tuned across the D lines. The Doppler width of the atomic beam was reduced to about 2.5 MHz so that the absorption width of the atoms of the beam was essentially determined by the natural width of the 3²P_1/2 and 3²P_3/2 levels, which is about 10 MHz. Since the linewidth observed for the hyperfine transitions was 30 MHz, most of the hyperfine components of the D₁ and D₂ lines could be resolved. In another experiment the frequency of the dye laser was locked to a hyperfine transition of the D₁ line. The observed variation of the output frequency of the dye laser was less than ±1.5 MHz. In addition, the intensity of the dye laser was controlled to about 10⁻³, using an electro-optically variable transmission filter.     

Frequency stabilization of a laser diode to hyperfine structure of the 4D5/2 state of Rb atoms

We observed hyperfine structures of the 4D_5/2 state of ⁸⁵Rb atoms and applied them to the frequency stabilization of a laser diode by using the double resonance optical pumping (DROP). The hyperfine structures of the 4D_5/2 states of ⁸⁵Rb atoms were highly resolved in the Rb vapor cell. We compared the DROP with the optical-optical double resonance (OODR) in the 5S_1/2-5P_3/2-4D_5/2 ladder-type system of ⁸⁵Rb atoms. When we stabilized the frequency of a laser diode to the hyperfine structure of the 5P_3/2(F″ = 4)-4D_5/2(F″ = 3) transition by using the DROP spectrum, the frequency stability was approximately 2.3 × 10^− 12 after 100 s.     

Wavelength-modulation spectroscopy using a frequency-doubled current-modulated diode laser

We have studied atomic absorption in an argon discharge by wavelength-modulation spectroscopy with a frequency-doubled diode laser. The tunable wavelength-modulated radiation at 430 nm was generated by frequency doubling a current-modulated 860-nm diode laser in a KNbO₃ crystal. 2f-, 4f- and 6f-harmonic spectra as a function of diode laser modulation depth were measured on a Doppler-broadened sample of excited argon atoms produced in a capacitively coupled plasma chamber. Characterisation of the harmonic signals was accomplished. Minimum detectable absorbances of 7.7×10^-5 and 1.9×10^-4 based on a 3σ criterion (σ being the standard deviation of the noise) were estimated for 2f- and 4f-harmonic detection of the frequency-doubled radiation with a time constant of 0.1 s. The concentrations of argon in the 1s₄ state were found to be in the range of 3×10⁸ to 1.2×10¹¹ cm^-3 for the experimental conditions studied. Received: 25 February 2002 / Revised version: 4 April 2002 / Published online: 14 May 2002     

Laser diode photoacoustic and FTIR laser spectroscopy of formaldehyde in the 2.3 μm and 3.5 μm spectral range

The room temperature operating GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb based diode laser and 66 K InAsSb/InAsSbP laser diode both operating in spectral range of formaldehyde absorption 4350-4361 cm⁻¹ and 2821-2823 cm⁻¹ have been characterized and compared. Very precise arrangement of laser absorption together with high resolution Fourier transform technique was tested. The photoacoustic technique was employed to determine the detection limit of formaldehyde (less than 1 ppmV) diluted by nitrogen for the strongest absorption line of the ν₃ + ν₅ band in the emission region of the GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb diode laser. The detection limit (less than 10 ppbV) of formaldehyde was achieved in the 2820 cm⁻¹ spectral range in case of InAsSb/InAsSbP laser (fundamental bands of ν₁, ν₅)_.     

Single-frequency operation of a laser diode side-pumped Q-switched Tm:YAG laser using seeding injection technique

A laser diode (LD) side-pumped 2 μm single-frequency Q-switched Tm:YAG laser was demonstrated. The laser was injection seeded by a CW single frequency Tm:YAG laser with a twisted-mode cavity. The maximum single-frequency pulse energy was 16.3 mJ, with a pulse width of 570 ns and a pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz. The linewidth of the 2 μm single-frequency Q-switched laser was 0.68 MHz, measured by using the optical heterodyne technique. The M ² of the laser beam was measured to be 1.09 and 1.03 for x direction and y direction, respectively.     

利用激光冷却原子束测量氦原子精密光谱

⁴He原子2³S₁→2³P_0,1,2跃迁的精细结构分裂,目前在理论和实验上都能够达到10^-8水平的精度,并可被应用于测定精细结构常数α, 和对量子电动力学进行检验.该方面实验研究的关键, 是需要提高测量信噪比,并消除各种可能的系统偏差, 将这一精细结构分裂测量到亚kHz水平.在设计的这套实验方案中, 首次结合激光冷却原子技术,通过激光横向冷却来提高亚稳态氦原子束的束流强度,并对三态亚稳态氦原子进行偏折, 将其从原子束中分离,从而大幅降低测量背景,并利用频率锁定激光器的边带扫描的方式来进行光谱测量,以使得扫描测量中保持足够的频率精度. 在目前基本搭建成的实验装置上,实验方法的可行性已经获得验证,分析表明有望实现亚千赫兹水平的测量准确度.     

Broadband amplitude-modulated laser source with high output power for FM/cw lidar transmitter

We are building a long-range FM/cw nonscanning imaging lidar breadboard. This lidar system achieves ranging based on a frequency modulation/continuous wave (FM/cw) technique, implemented by an amplitude modulated mid-IR diode laser transmitter with a linear frequency modulation (LFM) of the subcarrier. Firstly, various schemes of light beam modulation are analyzed. Secondly, we put forward a laser modulation scheme whose core was formed by a 1.55 μm electro-absorption modulated laser diode (EML) and an erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier (EDFA), then a corresponding experimental system architecture and components for light beam modulation and detection are established. Finally, a corresponding experiment of laser beam modulation is completed for the first time. In our experiment, the EML amplitude is modulated by a 200 MHz to 800 MHz LFM signal, whose amplitude value is 2.05 V. The average output power of the modulated laser obtained in the experiment is 10 W, peak power is 16.4 W, and the average modulation depth is 78%. The results of tests predict that this laser modulation scheme is likely to improve the imaging range of the FM/cw lidar.     

New single-pulse generation technique for distributed feedback dye lasers

The distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) generates a train of picosecond pulses when pumped well above threshold. This DFDL emission can be quenched by injecting a laser pulse into DFDL. By proper timing of the quencher laser pulse, only the first DFDL pulse is generated while the successive pulses are suppressed. Operational characteristics and practical design considerations of such a quenched DFDL are given. With 2.5 ns long pump pulses from a N₂ laser, a shortest DFDL pulse of 17 ps was obtained at 380 nm.